Man Drives His Toyota Tundra for One Million Miles

How many miles a year do you add to your vehicle? 10,000… 20,000… 30,000? According to the US Department of Transportation, the average is about 13,400 miles, but amazingly, one Toyota Tundra owner has averaged nine times that. In fact, his odometer just rolled over the one million mile mark!

That Tundra owner is Houma, Louisiana native Victor Sheppard, who has owned his 2007 Toyota Tundra from new. That’s right, this million-mile truck is just over eight years old. Sheppard regularly drives long-haul trips to North Dakota, Wyoming, and Virginia for work, and averages about 125,000 miles per year. Impressively, the pickup has handled the endless expanses of highway well, and is still highly original, featuring its original engine, transmission, and wearing the same lick of paint. Of course, the truck has endured a few bumps and bruises over the years, including a wrinkled skid plate, but overall it’s said to be in remarkable shape.

"My truck looks great, and, except for a few little dents, it’s almost like new,” says Sheppard. “Even the seats look just as they were when I bought it. They’re not as clean, of course, but they’re not busted or worn out.” Like most reliable high-mileage cars, Sheppard has kept the Toyota Tundra up to date on all of its regularly scheduled maintenance, which include timing belt replacements and oil changes. In fact, he’s had 117 dealership visits since 2007. “Most people can’t believe how much on his truck is original,” says Ron Weimer, general manager of Greg LeBlanc Toyota, where Shephard has his truck serviced. “Victor has been loyal to his maintenance and kept it up.”

So what will happen to the high-mileage pickup? While Sheppard is happy to keep adding on the miles, Toyota has actually swapped out his million-miler for a brand new 2016 Toyota Tundra, which also happens to be the 16th Tundra Sheppard has owned. The man sure likes his Toyotas. In an announcement, Toyota said Sheppard’s million mile Tundra was one of the first trucks built at Toyota’s then-new San Antonio truck plant, and engineers will be studying and completely disassembling the vehicle over the coming months to glean everything they can from the highway warrior—bumper-to-bumper, top-to-bottom.